Trade Union members from across Glasgow and the surrounding area gathered last night (01 Nov) at St Stephens Church Hall in Glasgow. Members of UNISON, PCS, TGWU and CWU came together to discuss the ongoing fight for public service workers jobs, pay and conditions.

Fiona MacDonald of West of Scotland Solidarity chaired the meeting, she said:

“New Labour no longer represent the trade union movement and Solidarity are rapidly emerging as the voice for active trade unionists across Scotland. This was a positive meeting, well attended and with a shared attitude that this fight against Brown’s New labour is there to be won.”

Coming Soon:

NATIONAL SHOP STEWARDS NETWORK CONFERENCE

Saturday 01 December, Central Hotel, Glasgow 11am

Speakers include: Bob Crow (RMT General Secretary) Janice Godrich (PCS National President)

For Jock Penman’s report on the meeting click below

Thur. 1st Nov ‘07

Fiona McDonald - Chairperson

Speakers: Iain Leitch – Social Care Worker (pc)
Stewart Dalley - PCS (pc)
Josie Hughes - Glasgow Day Care Worker (pc)
Gary Clarke – Postal Workers (pc)
Tommy Sheridan – SOLIDARITY Co-Convener

“Inspirational!” That was how Maureen Closs from Kirkcaldy described the Solidarity TU Rally, and it was echoed by many others who attended this event, which was called to draw the lessons of those Public Sector Workers, who Tommy Sheridan described as being, “..at the coal face of the industrial struggles today.” The rally was also called to bring workers from these sectors together, to link them with other activists and to build for the Shop Stewards Network Conference on 1st December.

Every speaker spoke eloquently, none more so than Josie Hughes, a Glasgow Day Care Worker who is on strike because of the attack on her wages and conditions. “I’m not a TU rep and I have never spoken in public before. We are new to all this,” she said, “we don’t know how to strike. We need support from organisations and other workers.” She went on to describe the multiple roles of a care worker, the threat of being downgraded and having lower wages forced on them, with no consultation but declared, “This is not just about us, it’s about a service to those who are unable to look after themselves and we are going to fight to keep it.”

Iain Leitch said that the Glasgow Social Care Workers had won their dispute because they were well-informed and well led by their local reps, they understood the demands and tactics and were united and determined.

Stewart Dalley said that his union used to be a pushover because of a weak, right-wing leadership. Things have now changed and thy are now a stronger, more united union who will respond to the threat by Gordon Brown to cut their wages and pensions.

Gary Clarke told of the pressure placed on Postal Workers and the attitude of managers, even placing a terminally-ill cancer patient on a disciplinary for taking time off. He declared that he faced a wage cut of £3,000 per year and £60,000 from his pension fund, yet Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of Royal Mail gets a 26% increase to ‘earn’ over £1.5M per year.

Tommy Sheridan condemned New Labour’s failure to scrap anti-Trades Union laws, which were designed to fragment and isolate workers in struggle. He compared Brown’s attitude toward workers to that of the shareholders of Northern Rock, the company which was bailed out to the tune of £10 billion. He asked, “How many people still believe Brown is better than Blair when he invited Digby Jones to join his cabinet and Margaret Thatcher to tea? What do the ex-miners in Fife think of that? And yet some TU leaders still give New Labour millions of pounds of members money. It is time that was stopped.”

Jock Penman